OPPOSITION MPs staged a walkout today after deputy speaker Nga Kor Ming suspended Barisan Nasional’s Noh Omar for three days from Parliament proceedings for questioning the integrity of the speaker’s office.

The 20 MPs from BN and PAS were led by Ismail Mohamed Said (Kuala Krau-BN) and Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man (Kubang Kerian-PAS).  

Earlier, Nga said that Noh was suspended for questioning the integrity of the speaker’s office.

Noh was not in Dewan Rakyat this morning, which led Ismail to tell Nga that he should make the ruling when the Tanjung Karang MP was in the chamber.

‘He is not here. He should be here to defend himself or be given a chance to apologise,” he said.

However, Nga said it was every MP’s responsibility to be present when the sitting started.

Nga said it was not his job to ensure Noh was in the chamber when the meeting started.

Seeing that the deputy speaker was not going to budge, Ismail, a deputy speaker when BN was in power, led the walkout.

“This is an abuse of the speaker’s power as this issue happened outside Parliament.

“When Nga made the statements about PAS and Umno, it was done outside where he didn’t have any immunity.

“Noh had only asked him to clarify his statements,” said opposition leader Ismail Sabri Yaakob during a press conference in the Parliament lobby.

Ismail Sabri said there was also an element of conflict of interest as the matter involved Nga.

Ismail Sabri, a former deputy speaker, said Standing Orders 43 and 44 state that MPs who are to be sanctioned should be in Parliament when the orders are given.

“This is not the convention as Noh wasn’t here this morning,” said Ismail Sabri.

He said that the Tanjung Karang MP should be given the chance to withdraw the remarks before the deputy speaker made his ruling.

The opposition MPs said they will stay out of the proceedings today as long as Nga chairs the Dewan Rakyat.

During the debate yesterday, Ahmad Fadhli Shaari (Pasir Mas-PAS) said that comments about the Umno-PAS partnership would turn Malaysia into a Taliban state was unhelpful.

At this point, Noh interjected to say that if Nga felt he had been misreported, he should have sued the media.

“If it’s true that Nga did not say those words, he should sue the parties as he is a lawyer. He should respect the robes he’s wearing and not try to cheat Parliament,” said Noh.

Nga said he had already explained his remarks in Parliament last week, to which Noh questioned why Nga’s statements within and without Parliament were different.

“Did you or did you not make those statements? You are not fit to be deputy speaker for saying different things within and without Parliament. It’s shameful to Parliament and the robes you wear,” said Noh yesterday. – March 19, 2019.